Shadow Of Pleasure Part 9 - Jack/Grace Fanfiction
Title: Shadow of Pleasure
Author: M. Elizabeth Ravensblood
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Jack/Grace with implied Jack/Samantha
Summary: Pre-series. While attending the National Forensics Conference, Grace runs into her friend Jack, a successful thriller author who unknown to her derives his ingenious plots from his exploits as serial killer Jack-Of-All-Trades. Upset over her husband's infidelity, Grace decides to even the score and soon she takes the first step into Jack's world...
Author's Notes: Shadow of Pleasure is the first story in a series called, Gods and Shadows which will be Jack/Grace in parts and ultimately Jack/Samantha. This first tale which focuses on Jack/Grace is for my lovely friend, velvetwhip. This is part nine of Shadow of Pleasure. Previous Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Part 7, & 8. The story is cross-posted at skewedbelievers. Due to length this is divided into several installments, there are still several more parts to come.
Grace watched Jack with a mixture of nervousness and impatience as he coughed for several minutes. Clearly he'd been surprised by her statement, but she couldn't allow him to think she was interested in someone else. Exhaling his cigarette smoke too quickly had brought on a coughing fit and she wondered what he would say when he was able to speak. As she waited, Grace's mind raced as she considered the possible outcomes. Although it was possible he would accept, a wave a nausea rose within her as she considered he might reject her. Either way, she'd told him she wanted him and the ball was now in his court, or at least would be when he could speak.
Catching his breath, Jack looked stunned, then his expression changed to one of amusement as he laughed, "Good one, Grace! You know you actually had me going there for a minute."
"You thought I was joking?!"
"Well, yes. I mean, after my ungentlemanly behavior you decided to get a little payback, right?"
Grace looked at him and sighed, "No, Jack."
"Oh," Jack replied and looked down at his shoes for several minutes before raising his head to take a drag from his cigarette. Exhaling thoughtfully, he said, "I don't know about you, but I could use a drink."
"Jack, shouldn't we talk about this."
Putting his cigarette in an ashtray, Jack stood up and nodded. "We will."
"Look I understand if you don't-" she trailed off crestfallen.
"I don't really know what I feel. You took me by surprise," Jack explained gently and took her hand in his. "I need a few minutes to take this in. I'm going to go to my suite and change clothes. This matter would probably be best discussed in private. The hotel bar should be pretty empty this time of day. Would you meet me there in fifteen minutes?"
Nodding her agreement, Grace watched as Jack disappeared then let her gaze move to her watch before staring blankly at the ground. While it wasn't a passionate kiss and taking her to his suite, it wasn't rejection either. Had he really been so completely oblivious to her attraction? Was he looking for the courage to reject her? Or perhaps he was weighing out the morality of sleeping with a married woman? Her mind was reeling as she glanced anxiously at her watch. Only a minute had passed since he'd left but it felt like it had been hours. Nervously she stood up and started pacing.
What if Jack said that he had no interest in her? Or worse what if he simply disappeared? Grace thought anxiously. He didn't seem like the sort that would tell her to wait and then disappear, but then she'd never been in a situation like this before. Looking at her watch once more, only one minute had passed since she last looked at her watch and Grace felt like she couldn't breath. Walking inside the hotel, Grace made her way through the crowd of men in dark suits towards the bar. Looking inside, Jack wasn't there yet, but she went inside and ordered a drink to try and soothe her rapidly fraying nerves.
Sitting at the table she'd shared with Jack only a few days earlier, Grace took a sip of her drink and watched the booth across the table, willing Jack to appear in front of her. He was going to say no, she decided dejectedly. Jack liked uncomplicated casual relationships and a married woman with whom he was well acquainted hardly fell in that category. Why had she said anything to him? Before he knew she had feelings for him, Jack had been her friend and a private fantasy of hers, but what would happen now that she'd revealed her feelings for him?
And what if Jack did say yes? Would she be able to go through with it? Although Grace was confident Jack would give her an unforgettable experience, she wasn't so sure she could do the same for him. Her only experiences had been with Morgan. Jack had been with more than a dozen women that she knew of and heaven knew how many dozens that she didn't know about. A feeling of uncertainty washed over her. What had she done by confessing to Jack? She made a huge mistake, Grace mentally chided herself as she finished her drink. The temptation to run away rose up within her and she was on the verge of fleeing when she heard a man clear his throat and turned to see Jack standing beside her.
********************
"Jack!" Grace gasped in surprise as he broke her reverie. Gone were his jeans and t-shirt. Once more Jack was impeccably dressed in one of his pale suits. Either way he was impossibly handsome and her uneasiness grew.
"You seem surprised to see me."
"Well, maybe a bit," she confessed.
Taking a seat across from her, Jack shook his head. "I wouldn't do that to you, Grace. Your confession came as a huge surprise, but you're still my friend. It would be cowardly and ungentlemanly of me to ignore you."
Feeling awkward, Grace looked away and muttered, "Maybe it would be better if you were a coward or if I hadn't had the nerve to say it."
"You have nothing to be ashamed of," Jack assured her gently. When she still looked away, he took her hand and urged, "Would you look at me? Please?"
Blushing under his gaze, Grace reluctantly met his gaze. Miserable, she asked, "Now what?"
Taking out a cigarette, Jack lit it and took a drag. Exhaling slowly, he replied, "Now, I'm going to get you another drink from the bar and get one for myself. Then we're going to talk about this."
As Jack went to the bar and ordered drinks, Grace felt slightly better. He was a bit subdued but otherwise very much his normal self. She watched as he ordered and felt relieved when he offered her a brief smile as the bartender filled their order.
"A Tom Collins for you," Jack informed her as he flourished a drink in front of her. Then sliding into the booth across from her he added, "And a Jack Daniels for me."
Nervously, Grace took a large gulp of her drink and erupted into an undignified coughing fit. She blushed as Jack stamped his cigarette out in the ashtray, got up and patted her back and motioned for the bartender to bring her a glass of water and then commanded her to drink it slowly. As she drank the water and caught her breath, she couldn't help thinking that things like this didn't happen to Alexandra. Jack was kind and concerned, but the awkward feelings she'd had since her revelation had doubled in the past few minutes. Her face was still flushed when Jack finally sat down and lit another cigarette.
Opening her mouth to speak, Grace tried to speak but words wouldn't come out. Face to face with Jack, she was unsure of what to say or how to say it. She'd never been in a position like this before and felt uncertain of how to proceed. After several moments of false starts, Grace blurted out, "Did you like the Forensic Psychiatry lecture?"
"It had it moments," Jack drawled and took a sip of his drink.
"Valerie was a good speaker. Pretty too," Grace said, mentally kicking herself as the words came out.
"Today has been most-" Jack trailed off in thought. Then he added with a wry smile, "Informative."
"I guess it has."
Taking a drag from his cigarette, Jack hesitated, "Grace, I- I'll be honest I'm not sure exactly how to respond to what you told me earlier. I've never been in this situation with anyone I've cared about, but then there's not many people I care about."
"I- I would like for you and I- That is I want-" Grace trailed off overcome with embarrassment once more.
"To be er intimate with me," Jack supplied uneasily.
Mutely she nodded and watched as he stamped out his cigarette. As she waited for his next words, Grace felt like she could hardly breathe. She'd never felt so nervous around Morgan but then she'd never desired him as she had Jack. Once more the question rose up in her mind whether it was merely lust or something more, but she brushed it aside, anxious to know what Jack would say.
"You've known me for several years and you've seen many of the women I've dated. The parade of blondes, as you've always called them," Jack said and drained his glass of whiskey. Sitting it down, he toyed with the glass for a moment before continuing. "And you know the reason behind them."
"Samantha."
"Samantha," he agreed wistfully. "She's the reason for nearly everything I do. You're the one part of my life that had nothing to do with her. I never intended to involve you in that part of my life. And now you're asking something of me that would change that."
Grace frowned and disagreed, "Jack, no. I wouldn't be like-"
"Like my other blondes?" Jack interjected. "Not in the usual sense, no. You're my friend and I care about you. For your sake, I would try far harder than I usually do but in the end-"
"In the end?"
"In the end, there is only Samantha and I'll hurt you."
"You won't hurt me, Jack."
"Won't I?" he inquired in a deceptively light tone. "I won't mean to, but I will. It's the same with every woman I take to bed. I can offer you physical passion but-"
"That's all I want."
Shaking his head, he said, "No, Grace. That's what you think you want." Reaching across the table, he caressed her cheek gently with his fingertips before cupping her chin and gently forcing her to meet his gaze. "I know you better than that and while that's what you say you want and you may even believe it at this moment, that's not what you want."
"There's also getting back at Morgan."
"Getting back at Morgan," he repeated. Lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply, he corrected, "Getting back at Morgan is an excuse Grace. Don't get me wrong, I don't flatter myself as being the impetus behind this. But I always could sense that beneath your serene facade you longed for passion."
Taking his hand in hers, she urged softly, "Show me. Please. You said before you left that I was lovely. You said you wanted me that night. Did you lie to me? Is the problem me?"
Closing his eyes, he sighed, "The problem isn't you. The problem is me. And the same obstacles that prevented me from taking you to bed that night still exist. I didn't lie to you. You are lovely and you deserve to be more than a Samantha substitute. You don't really want this."
Frustration washed over her. The same argument that she deserved something more than he had to offer that he'd given her the other night, she realized in annoyance. While it was sweet that Jack cared about her, if that was the only thing holding him back, she intended to change in mind. Pointedly she inquired, "Isn't it up to me to decide what I deserve and what I want."
"Maybe," he replied as he opened his eyes and offered her a slightly sad smile.
Was he resisting out of some twisted loyalty to Samantha? Did Jack consider himself somehow unfaithful to her if he slept with a woman he actually knew? While she would prefer he saw her when he looked at her rather than a fill-in for his blonde muse, she decided she wanted Jack on whatever terms she could have him as she remembered the electric sensation of his kisses. Hot and sweet, she'd felt more alive in those moments than she'd ever felt in her life and Grace realized. She couldn't walk away. All her fears about whether she would be enough for him or whether she felt more than lust fell away. It would be better to have one night of pleasure to hold onto rather than to continue living safely.
Looking at him with determination, Grace said, "I want you. I don't care if it's only for a night. My life with Morgan hasn't been bad, but I've never felt in his arms what I felt when you kissed me. Just once I want-"
"To feel passion," Jack supplied.
"Yes."
"Are you sure this is what you want?" he pressed.
"I'm positive, Jack, " she told him.
His expression was inscrutable as he murmured, "Tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night? You mean-?"
Taking her hand, he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. His voice was ripe with promise as he told her, "We'll spend the evening together if that's what you wish."
Her pulse was racing. Although the old fashioned gesture was very polite, but there was a change in his face and demeanor. There was a sensuality and warmth to his eyes that she'd seen directed at other women by him, but never towards herself. Tension filled her body under his gaze. The feelings of need she'd experienced when he kissed her returned and she wished he was pressed against her in private rather than sitting across from her in a booth at the bar. She'd been on the verge of asking why they had to wait until tomorrow when her reverie was broken as a large group of men walked into the bar and began placing orders.
Jack released her hand and suggested, "Perhaps we should see about attending the next lecture we're scheduled for?"
Reluctantly, she agreed and got up from the table and followed Jack out of the bar.
********************
They were both scheduled to attend a lecture on the Future of Forensics in about half an hour. They arrived at the room the lecture was being held in. It was empty and they were about to sit down when trepidation filled Grace. When Jack had agreed he had said they would spend the next night together. Did that mean he didn't want to be with her? And while he had agreed, she wasn't sure how willing he really was.
"We don't have to- you know, be together if you don't wish to."
"Having second thoughts?" he inquired gently.
"No. It's just I thought you didn't really want to," Grace said and turned away from him. "I mean you said tomorrow night and I thought-"
Moving closer to her, he placed a hand on her waist. He kissed the back of her neck and murmured, "If we're going to do this, then we'll do it right. Today has been very intense for both of us. Tonight we'll ease into things a bit. Tomorrow night, we'll dine together and I promise to give you a night you'll never forget."
"Really?" Grace asked, still feeling uncertain.
Turning her around, Jack kissed her. The touch of his lips was brief but tantalizing and sent a shiver through Grace. Drawing back slightly, he pushed her hair back and said, "For one night I will give you all the pleasure you could possibly want."
"And then?"
"Then, my dear friend, we'll part company. I'll return to my world and my Samantha. You'll return to yours, a sadder but wiser woman."
"Sadder?"
"You suspect you're missing something, and you're right," Jack said. "That's one of the reasons I pulled away from your the other night. If I take you to bed, I intend to do it properly. Once I'm done with you, you'll be very disillusioned about your marriage and much of your life."
"Maybe I'm already disillusioned," Grace replied.
"Perhaps."
A few people began to file in and they sat down for the lecture. Reaching for her purse, Grace realized she'd left it in the bar and swore, "Damn it."
"What's wrong?"
"I left my purse in the bar," Grace sighed in annoyance and started to stand up.
"I'll get it for you."
"Are you sure?"
His hand brushed gently over her upper arm, not quite but almost touching the curve of her breast making her breath stop as he purred, "I'm positive."
"On second thought, I could use a little air," Grace told him as her nipples hardened and she felt dizzy. She wanted Jack but with satisfaction still a ways off, she needed a moment to collect her thoughts. Leaving the room, she went to the bar and was relieved to see her handbag was still there. Picking it up she was heading back towards Jack when a feminine voice intruded. She turned around to see Valerie.
"How was Jacklyn?"
"Huh?!"
"Jacklyn Trades? You were buying one of her books the other day. Did you get a chance to do some reading?"
Relieved that Valerie didn't know Jack's secret, Grace replied, "Oh I ended buying a couple and staying up late for the past two nights."
"I know what you mean, it's so hard to put them down."
"Yes," Grace agreed impatiently. She was longing to get back to Jack.
"I'm so glad I ran into you," Valerie said. "These things are usually almost all male and rarely any of them worth looking at. Would you like to have lunch and talk about Jacklyn sometime?"
"I'm sort of booked for today."
"Too bad. I'm booked for tomorrow. Well how about exchanging cards and maybe we'll meet up at another Forensics Conference."
Reaching into her purse Grace got out a card and exchanged with Valerie, she had no intention of contacting her but decided it would be easier to exchange cards than come up with a reason not to. "Sounds great."
"It was nice meeting you, Grace," Valerie said looking at her card.
Grace was putting the blonde's card away and started to walk off when she stopped her once more.
In a low tone, Valerie murmured, "Grace, I know this is really strange and you don't know her; but I told my friend Sam on the phone last night about meeting you in the bookstore and that I told you about the autographed Jacklyn books. She got really weird and upset that I told you that. I don't see how it could really matter, but do me a favor and don't tell anyone about Sam getting the special copies of Jacklyn's books. I promised her I'd tell you if I saw you and got a chance to."
"I won't tell anyone," Grace told her and walked away. Going back to the room where Jack was, she took a seat beside him. The lecture had already begun, so he didn't say anything. Vainly she tried to pay attention as she was distracted by the nearness of Jack and thoughts of the odd discussion about Sam.
Author: M. Elizabeth Ravensblood
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Jack/Grace with implied Jack/Samantha
Summary: Pre-series. While attending the National Forensics Conference, Grace runs into her friend Jack, a successful thriller author who unknown to her derives his ingenious plots from his exploits as serial killer Jack-Of-All-Trades. Upset over her husband's infidelity, Grace decides to even the score and soon she takes the first step into Jack's world...
Author's Notes: Shadow of Pleasure is the first story in a series called, Gods and Shadows which will be Jack/Grace in parts and ultimately Jack/Samantha. This first tale which focuses on Jack/Grace is for my lovely friend, velvetwhip. This is part nine of Shadow of Pleasure. Previous Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Part 7, & 8. The story is cross-posted at skewedbelievers. Due to length this is divided into several installments, there are still several more parts to come.
Grace watched Jack with a mixture of nervousness and impatience as he coughed for several minutes. Clearly he'd been surprised by her statement, but she couldn't allow him to think she was interested in someone else. Exhaling his cigarette smoke too quickly had brought on a coughing fit and she wondered what he would say when he was able to speak. As she waited, Grace's mind raced as she considered the possible outcomes. Although it was possible he would accept, a wave a nausea rose within her as she considered he might reject her. Either way, she'd told him she wanted him and the ball was now in his court, or at least would be when he could speak.
Catching his breath, Jack looked stunned, then his expression changed to one of amusement as he laughed, "Good one, Grace! You know you actually had me going there for a minute."
"You thought I was joking?!"
"Well, yes. I mean, after my ungentlemanly behavior you decided to get a little payback, right?"
Grace looked at him and sighed, "No, Jack."
"Oh," Jack replied and looked down at his shoes for several minutes before raising his head to take a drag from his cigarette. Exhaling thoughtfully, he said, "I don't know about you, but I could use a drink."
"Jack, shouldn't we talk about this."
Putting his cigarette in an ashtray, Jack stood up and nodded. "We will."
"Look I understand if you don't-" she trailed off crestfallen.
"I don't really know what I feel. You took me by surprise," Jack explained gently and took her hand in his. "I need a few minutes to take this in. I'm going to go to my suite and change clothes. This matter would probably be best discussed in private. The hotel bar should be pretty empty this time of day. Would you meet me there in fifteen minutes?"
Nodding her agreement, Grace watched as Jack disappeared then let her gaze move to her watch before staring blankly at the ground. While it wasn't a passionate kiss and taking her to his suite, it wasn't rejection either. Had he really been so completely oblivious to her attraction? Was he looking for the courage to reject her? Or perhaps he was weighing out the morality of sleeping with a married woman? Her mind was reeling as she glanced anxiously at her watch. Only a minute had passed since he'd left but it felt like it had been hours. Nervously she stood up and started pacing.
What if Jack said that he had no interest in her? Or worse what if he simply disappeared? Grace thought anxiously. He didn't seem like the sort that would tell her to wait and then disappear, but then she'd never been in a situation like this before. Looking at her watch once more, only one minute had passed since she last looked at her watch and Grace felt like she couldn't breath. Walking inside the hotel, Grace made her way through the crowd of men in dark suits towards the bar. Looking inside, Jack wasn't there yet, but she went inside and ordered a drink to try and soothe her rapidly fraying nerves.
Sitting at the table she'd shared with Jack only a few days earlier, Grace took a sip of her drink and watched the booth across the table, willing Jack to appear in front of her. He was going to say no, she decided dejectedly. Jack liked uncomplicated casual relationships and a married woman with whom he was well acquainted hardly fell in that category. Why had she said anything to him? Before he knew she had feelings for him, Jack had been her friend and a private fantasy of hers, but what would happen now that she'd revealed her feelings for him?
And what if Jack did say yes? Would she be able to go through with it? Although Grace was confident Jack would give her an unforgettable experience, she wasn't so sure she could do the same for him. Her only experiences had been with Morgan. Jack had been with more than a dozen women that she knew of and heaven knew how many dozens that she didn't know about. A feeling of uncertainty washed over her. What had she done by confessing to Jack? She made a huge mistake, Grace mentally chided herself as she finished her drink. The temptation to run away rose up within her and she was on the verge of fleeing when she heard a man clear his throat and turned to see Jack standing beside her.
********************
"Jack!" Grace gasped in surprise as he broke her reverie. Gone were his jeans and t-shirt. Once more Jack was impeccably dressed in one of his pale suits. Either way he was impossibly handsome and her uneasiness grew.
"You seem surprised to see me."
"Well, maybe a bit," she confessed.
Taking a seat across from her, Jack shook his head. "I wouldn't do that to you, Grace. Your confession came as a huge surprise, but you're still my friend. It would be cowardly and ungentlemanly of me to ignore you."
Feeling awkward, Grace looked away and muttered, "Maybe it would be better if you were a coward or if I hadn't had the nerve to say it."
"You have nothing to be ashamed of," Jack assured her gently. When she still looked away, he took her hand and urged, "Would you look at me? Please?"
Blushing under his gaze, Grace reluctantly met his gaze. Miserable, she asked, "Now what?"
Taking out a cigarette, Jack lit it and took a drag. Exhaling slowly, he replied, "Now, I'm going to get you another drink from the bar and get one for myself. Then we're going to talk about this."
As Jack went to the bar and ordered drinks, Grace felt slightly better. He was a bit subdued but otherwise very much his normal self. She watched as he ordered and felt relieved when he offered her a brief smile as the bartender filled their order.
"A Tom Collins for you," Jack informed her as he flourished a drink in front of her. Then sliding into the booth across from her he added, "And a Jack Daniels for me."
Nervously, Grace took a large gulp of her drink and erupted into an undignified coughing fit. She blushed as Jack stamped his cigarette out in the ashtray, got up and patted her back and motioned for the bartender to bring her a glass of water and then commanded her to drink it slowly. As she drank the water and caught her breath, she couldn't help thinking that things like this didn't happen to Alexandra. Jack was kind and concerned, but the awkward feelings she'd had since her revelation had doubled in the past few minutes. Her face was still flushed when Jack finally sat down and lit another cigarette.
Opening her mouth to speak, Grace tried to speak but words wouldn't come out. Face to face with Jack, she was unsure of what to say or how to say it. She'd never been in a position like this before and felt uncertain of how to proceed. After several moments of false starts, Grace blurted out, "Did you like the Forensic Psychiatry lecture?"
"It had it moments," Jack drawled and took a sip of his drink.
"Valerie was a good speaker. Pretty too," Grace said, mentally kicking herself as the words came out.
"Today has been most-" Jack trailed off in thought. Then he added with a wry smile, "Informative."
"I guess it has."
Taking a drag from his cigarette, Jack hesitated, "Grace, I- I'll be honest I'm not sure exactly how to respond to what you told me earlier. I've never been in this situation with anyone I've cared about, but then there's not many people I care about."
"I- I would like for you and I- That is I want-" Grace trailed off overcome with embarrassment once more.
"To be er intimate with me," Jack supplied uneasily.
Mutely she nodded and watched as he stamped out his cigarette. As she waited for his next words, Grace felt like she could hardly breathe. She'd never felt so nervous around Morgan but then she'd never desired him as she had Jack. Once more the question rose up in her mind whether it was merely lust or something more, but she brushed it aside, anxious to know what Jack would say.
"You've known me for several years and you've seen many of the women I've dated. The parade of blondes, as you've always called them," Jack said and drained his glass of whiskey. Sitting it down, he toyed with the glass for a moment before continuing. "And you know the reason behind them."
"Samantha."
"Samantha," he agreed wistfully. "She's the reason for nearly everything I do. You're the one part of my life that had nothing to do with her. I never intended to involve you in that part of my life. And now you're asking something of me that would change that."
Grace frowned and disagreed, "Jack, no. I wouldn't be like-"
"Like my other blondes?" Jack interjected. "Not in the usual sense, no. You're my friend and I care about you. For your sake, I would try far harder than I usually do but in the end-"
"In the end?"
"In the end, there is only Samantha and I'll hurt you."
"You won't hurt me, Jack."
"Won't I?" he inquired in a deceptively light tone. "I won't mean to, but I will. It's the same with every woman I take to bed. I can offer you physical passion but-"
"That's all I want."
Shaking his head, he said, "No, Grace. That's what you think you want." Reaching across the table, he caressed her cheek gently with his fingertips before cupping her chin and gently forcing her to meet his gaze. "I know you better than that and while that's what you say you want and you may even believe it at this moment, that's not what you want."
"There's also getting back at Morgan."
"Getting back at Morgan," he repeated. Lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply, he corrected, "Getting back at Morgan is an excuse Grace. Don't get me wrong, I don't flatter myself as being the impetus behind this. But I always could sense that beneath your serene facade you longed for passion."
Taking his hand in hers, she urged softly, "Show me. Please. You said before you left that I was lovely. You said you wanted me that night. Did you lie to me? Is the problem me?"
Closing his eyes, he sighed, "The problem isn't you. The problem is me. And the same obstacles that prevented me from taking you to bed that night still exist. I didn't lie to you. You are lovely and you deserve to be more than a Samantha substitute. You don't really want this."
Frustration washed over her. The same argument that she deserved something more than he had to offer that he'd given her the other night, she realized in annoyance. While it was sweet that Jack cared about her, if that was the only thing holding him back, she intended to change in mind. Pointedly she inquired, "Isn't it up to me to decide what I deserve and what I want."
"Maybe," he replied as he opened his eyes and offered her a slightly sad smile.
Was he resisting out of some twisted loyalty to Samantha? Did Jack consider himself somehow unfaithful to her if he slept with a woman he actually knew? While she would prefer he saw her when he looked at her rather than a fill-in for his blonde muse, she decided she wanted Jack on whatever terms she could have him as she remembered the electric sensation of his kisses. Hot and sweet, she'd felt more alive in those moments than she'd ever felt in her life and Grace realized. She couldn't walk away. All her fears about whether she would be enough for him or whether she felt more than lust fell away. It would be better to have one night of pleasure to hold onto rather than to continue living safely.
Looking at him with determination, Grace said, "I want you. I don't care if it's only for a night. My life with Morgan hasn't been bad, but I've never felt in his arms what I felt when you kissed me. Just once I want-"
"To feel passion," Jack supplied.
"Yes."
"Are you sure this is what you want?" he pressed.
"I'm positive, Jack, " she told him.
His expression was inscrutable as he murmured, "Tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night? You mean-?"
Taking her hand, he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. His voice was ripe with promise as he told her, "We'll spend the evening together if that's what you wish."
Her pulse was racing. Although the old fashioned gesture was very polite, but there was a change in his face and demeanor. There was a sensuality and warmth to his eyes that she'd seen directed at other women by him, but never towards herself. Tension filled her body under his gaze. The feelings of need she'd experienced when he kissed her returned and she wished he was pressed against her in private rather than sitting across from her in a booth at the bar. She'd been on the verge of asking why they had to wait until tomorrow when her reverie was broken as a large group of men walked into the bar and began placing orders.
Jack released her hand and suggested, "Perhaps we should see about attending the next lecture we're scheduled for?"
Reluctantly, she agreed and got up from the table and followed Jack out of the bar.
********************
They were both scheduled to attend a lecture on the Future of Forensics in about half an hour. They arrived at the room the lecture was being held in. It was empty and they were about to sit down when trepidation filled Grace. When Jack had agreed he had said they would spend the next night together. Did that mean he didn't want to be with her? And while he had agreed, she wasn't sure how willing he really was.
"We don't have to- you know, be together if you don't wish to."
"Having second thoughts?" he inquired gently.
"No. It's just I thought you didn't really want to," Grace said and turned away from him. "I mean you said tomorrow night and I thought-"
Moving closer to her, he placed a hand on her waist. He kissed the back of her neck and murmured, "If we're going to do this, then we'll do it right. Today has been very intense for both of us. Tonight we'll ease into things a bit. Tomorrow night, we'll dine together and I promise to give you a night you'll never forget."
"Really?" Grace asked, still feeling uncertain.
Turning her around, Jack kissed her. The touch of his lips was brief but tantalizing and sent a shiver through Grace. Drawing back slightly, he pushed her hair back and said, "For one night I will give you all the pleasure you could possibly want."
"And then?"
"Then, my dear friend, we'll part company. I'll return to my world and my Samantha. You'll return to yours, a sadder but wiser woman."
"Sadder?"
"You suspect you're missing something, and you're right," Jack said. "That's one of the reasons I pulled away from your the other night. If I take you to bed, I intend to do it properly. Once I'm done with you, you'll be very disillusioned about your marriage and much of your life."
"Maybe I'm already disillusioned," Grace replied.
"Perhaps."
A few people began to file in and they sat down for the lecture. Reaching for her purse, Grace realized she'd left it in the bar and swore, "Damn it."
"What's wrong?"
"I left my purse in the bar," Grace sighed in annoyance and started to stand up.
"I'll get it for you."
"Are you sure?"
His hand brushed gently over her upper arm, not quite but almost touching the curve of her breast making her breath stop as he purred, "I'm positive."
"On second thought, I could use a little air," Grace told him as her nipples hardened and she felt dizzy. She wanted Jack but with satisfaction still a ways off, she needed a moment to collect her thoughts. Leaving the room, she went to the bar and was relieved to see her handbag was still there. Picking it up she was heading back towards Jack when a feminine voice intruded. She turned around to see Valerie.
"How was Jacklyn?"
"Huh?!"
"Jacklyn Trades? You were buying one of her books the other day. Did you get a chance to do some reading?"
Relieved that Valerie didn't know Jack's secret, Grace replied, "Oh I ended buying a couple and staying up late for the past two nights."
"I know what you mean, it's so hard to put them down."
"Yes," Grace agreed impatiently. She was longing to get back to Jack.
"I'm so glad I ran into you," Valerie said. "These things are usually almost all male and rarely any of them worth looking at. Would you like to have lunch and talk about Jacklyn sometime?"
"I'm sort of booked for today."
"Too bad. I'm booked for tomorrow. Well how about exchanging cards and maybe we'll meet up at another Forensics Conference."
Reaching into her purse Grace got out a card and exchanged with Valerie, she had no intention of contacting her but decided it would be easier to exchange cards than come up with a reason not to. "Sounds great."
"It was nice meeting you, Grace," Valerie said looking at her card.
Grace was putting the blonde's card away and started to walk off when she stopped her once more.
In a low tone, Valerie murmured, "Grace, I know this is really strange and you don't know her; but I told my friend Sam on the phone last night about meeting you in the bookstore and that I told you about the autographed Jacklyn books. She got really weird and upset that I told you that. I don't see how it could really matter, but do me a favor and don't tell anyone about Sam getting the special copies of Jacklyn's books. I promised her I'd tell you if I saw you and got a chance to."
"I won't tell anyone," Grace told her and walked away. Going back to the room where Jack was, she took a seat beside him. The lecture had already begun, so he didn't say anything. Vainly she tried to pay attention as she was distracted by the nearness of Jack and thoughts of the odd discussion about Sam.